The Women's Action Forum (WAF), one of the oldest women's rights groups in Pakistan, has condemned Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans remarks on women, human rights and the Pashtun culture at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit earlier this month, Friday Times reported.
In a press release issued on Thursday, WAF wrote, "The PM continues to misuse-abuse his public office to voice his personal regressive, misogynistic, racist views on women, Pakhtuns as an ethnic group, culture and fundamental human rights."
"WAF is seriously concerned over escalating GBV [gender based violence] incidents and attacks against young girls and women," the statement added, as it decried the premier's "blatant friendly overtures towards the Afghan Taliban de facto administration".
Speaking at the OIC summit hosted in Islamabad, Imran Khan had commented on Afghan and Pashtun cultural norms while attempting to sound the alarm on the situation in Afghanistan.
"Every society's idea of women's rights and human rights is different," he had said, adding: "When we are talking about human rights and women's rights, we have to be very sensitive about this [cultural norms]."
He gave an example on girls' schooling, a growing concern in Afghanistan, arguing that "if we are not sensitive to the cultural norms of these people [Pakhtuns], even with stipends they won't send the girls to school".
WAF called on the Prime Minister to deliver a public apology, "addressed to all women, girls and Pakhtuns of Pakistan and Afghanistan".
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